POTD - Little

Little - by Kristin Corlett

This is a travellers palm with a little tiny flower hanging from it.  I have no idea if this flower has come from the palm or from some other plant, all I know is that I thought it was very very cool...and little.  This was found in the courtyard between the DWR store and a book store in South Beach.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Hotels in South Beach

The hotels in the South Beach area are incredibly cool.  The area just oooozes the Art Deco style.  If it isn't art deco then it compliments that style.

I really like the traveller palms against this small hotel and the lighting is so soft.

I have no idea what type of tree this is, but it was very unusual with all of these strange strings hanging from it.  OK, so they aren't real strings, but part of the tree.

Unless I took a picture of the hotel sign, I have no idea which hotel is which.    I like the fancy ones, the run down ones, the tall ones, the short ones and the closed ones.  The Leslie Hotel (not shown) was the one featured in the movie The Bird Cage and it's empty and for sale.  It's so sad, but still, it's lovely even though it needs a lot of work.

I wish I had taken a dozen more photos of the Hotel Victor.  I didn't realize how great that palm tree looked with the red lights behind it.  I guess this one is going to have to do.

This place is 100% c ditioned.  The neon wasn't on, but I think that this hotel was open.  This place needs some work.

I liked the balconies on this hotel.  It made the whole building even that much more interesting.

Steve and I stayed at the Cavalier.  We've stayed at the Cavalier for the the past two years and as luck would have it, we even got the exact same room. 

This is the window in that room.  It looks right onto the door to the hotel restaurant next door.  The deliveries come through this door.  The workers stand out there and smoke and talk.  The door slams shut.  Ahhh, delightful.

The Cavalier, I have to admit, really isn't a great hotel.  The shower is awful, the bathroom is minuscule, the beds are very uncomfortable and the internet has not worked in room 105 both times I've stayed.  We had breakfast there on Sunday and Steve ordered oatmeal.  When the waiter came with out with the food he plopped down a bowl of instant oatmeal.   Normally that's alright - not great, but alright.  But when Steve asked if it the oatmeal could be mixed with some sort of liquid, the waiter was totally baffled.  Yep you read that right, he got dry oatmeal!  They finally figured it out and he finally brought back oatmeal mixed with far too much hot milk. 

Steve keeps picking this hotel because it's one of the cheaper ones (@ $190 a night), it's in a great location to the places we like to go and it's on the ocean.  Well, the ocean side - the ocean is across the road, beyond the park, on the other side of the dunes and finally you can see ocean.  I think maybe if we were on a higher floor, we might actually see the ocean, but then again, I'd miss that restaurant service door.

I hope you have enjoyed my whirlwind trip to southern part of Florida.  I'm so glad that I was able to pick up and go.  Mocha was pretty upset, but she's gotten over it I think.  She stopped nibbling on my toes this afternoon, so I must have been forgiven.

Have a great week!
Kristin

POTD - Three Palms

Three Palms - by Kristin Corlett

 I really like the fake palms shaded by the real one.  Taken while I was in South Beach having lunch with Steve.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Saturday with Steve

Friday night/Saturday morning I made the decision to take off for Miami to meet my friend Steve.  He got the weeks mixed up and he arrived a week early.  We've done this meet and greet for the past three years - as he flies into Miami to go on a gay cruise.  He arrives a day and a half early so that I can come and see him.  It saves me a trip to California and it's fun!  But this year, since he gave me the wrong dates, I was not ready to run down there on a moments notice. 

At 10:30pm on Friday night I decided to go.  I had to do two loads of laundry, feed the cat, take out the trash, freeze the leftover foods, pack, etc.  Since I had had a sleepless night the night before, I had gotten up very late in the day, so at 3am, I left for Miami.  I drove for a few hours and then caught a few hours sleep in a rest area.  Funny, there were no less than a dozen other cars with sleeping people in them, too.  (There was a security guard at this rest area)  I arrived in Miami around noon (traffic was a nightmare at one point) and we ate lunch and started our day.

This is "we."  Steve, me and Jet.  Jet and Steve have been friends for years and years and I met Jet last year when I came down for the weekend.  This weekend there was a much smaller group going, so Steve, Jet and I hung out the entire time. 

We walked all over the historic Deco District in South Beach and visited many shops.  This chandelier and chair were found at the DWR store (Design Within Reach.)

That chair is so shiny!!

We ate dinner at Jerry's. Wow, good food.  Jet was meeting a few friends so he had an appetiser with us and then brought the friends back for dinner.  Steve and I just sat and chatted at our original table while Jet and his friends sat next to us.  Fun.

We went into this gift shop, right next to our hotel and I have to tell you - the mannequin that greets you at the door is frightening.  Scroll to the next photo only if you dare!!  I made it small so isn't as much as an assault on the eyes.  But I had to show you this thing.

Anyway, I am now ready to leave Miami. The boys have already caught their cab and are on the way to the cruise terminal and I'm on my way to Cocoa Beach to meet up with Tom, his brother and wife.  I'd better scoot!  Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - BFF

BFF - photo by Steve's friend Jet. 

Steve and I are crouching over because the sun was smacking us in the face and when we huddled together and crouched down we just got goofy - exactly the way we act.  It was perfect.  The three of us (Steve, Jet and I) had a blast wandering around South Beach. 

Enjoy!
Kristin

Sitting at a diner in South Beach. Not sure if I'll get back before midnight to post so I'm sending this in via text! Wish you were here. Steve says hi.

POTD - Red Sky

Red Sky - by Kristin Corlett

This is the sky that greeted me when I arrived at the pot luck dinner last night.  Love it.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

Mrs. 4444, from Half-Past Kissing Time, hosts Friday Fragments each week. I have been scribbling little notes all week to add to my fragments post and I have left that note pad in the car.  So this post is going to be really fragmented!  Please visit Mrs. 4444's Fragmented post so you can find even more severely fragmented posters like me.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Dr. Oz said on his TV the other day that if you were to cut sodas out of your diet, you would lose 12 pounds a year.  I would be rail thin if that 12 pounds would come off year after year.  I haven't had a daily soda for about 10 years.   I'm thinking that 12 pounds only comes off that first year you quit.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I could stay in my house for months I do believe, besides going to the grocery store, and not feel the need to speak to anyone.  I like chatting and talking with people but I do have a tough time when I'm expected to be social.   Parties - ugh, I'm a disaster if I don't know very many people.  I'd rather hang out in the kitchen and do dishes.  Going over to visit people - I just don't do it.  I can do small talk for a few minutes and then I just don't have a thing to say.  When we moved into our condo I remember telling my mom that it was "forced socialization."  There were people in the hall, people in our elevator, people at the mailbox, people in the garage.  People everywhere! 

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

My sister mentioned this the other day and I had a quite a chuckle over it....

3,593 people saved in their online recipe box how to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

That is sad.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Cheese-Sandwich/Detail.aspx

I've looked since she posted this and the number has risen.  Equally as sad.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Ever wonder where you money goes after it leaves your hands?
I have submitted quite a few bills to the Where's George website where you can track see what happened to your money, if someone logs in and posts the bill.
One of the bills that I found has 5 entries - HERE
One of the bills that I entered (I wrote www.wheresgeorge.com on it) finally got a hit...and it's kind of embarassing!  Mine was the initial entry, but the next entry is the one that made me blush.  I prefer not to think about it too much! haha

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Mrs. 4444 mentioned in her Friday Fragments that she no longer allows anonymous comments because of the spammers commenting anonymously on archived posts.   I am getting 3 or 4 a day.  What is going on?  I finally turned on comment moderation for all posts older than 60 days.  That at least keeps them from getting in.

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Today however I got a real comment on an old post.  The folks over at city baby found my blog post on how to bake sweet potatoes and used it on their blog.  This particular blog is all about making baby food for your little ones.  My sister makes her own baby food and it really takes her no time at all and costs her just pennies per serving, saving her a bundle of money.  If you get a chance check out the city baby blog.

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Pioneer Woman did a giveaway yesterday.  The winner received $500 sent in their name to the charity of their choice that was working with Haiti.  Then for every comment that she received on that post, she was going to donate a dime.  The top three charities mentioned would split that donation.  Today she announced the charities and said that she has decided to send the full amount to all three organizations, not just a third.   What a delight to be able to see this kind of giving in the blog world.  Thanks P-Dub.

I finally donated today.  I kept hemming and hawing as to where I wanted to send money, but my local Publix grocery store was collecting money at the register for the Red Cross Haiti Relief, so I gave there.  I got a receipt that said all the pertinent information and I trust them, so I felt good about that avenue.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

My friend text messaged me a few hours ago and I missed the message until just now.  The message said - "I've just landed, can't wait to see you!"  Now I'm supposed to be meeting this friend NEXT Friday in Miami.  Now it's 10pm and he's 5 - 6 hours away by car.  I can't believe he screwed up the dates.  Now it looks like I'm going to be making a mad dash to Miami tomorrow morning.  See ya!!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Kristin

POTD - Chevy

Chevy - by Kristin Corlett

I saw this Impala in one of the parking spots near my rental condos.  It had a license plate tag that said it was an antique and it looked like it had the original interior.  This exterior color is absolutely electric.  No enhancements were made to this photo.  You can't miss this car in the parking lot!   I took a few more photos of the car, but I thought this was a fun photo of the day shot. 

Enjoy!
Kristin

2000th Liver Transplant Celebration

Today was such a busy day and it was all about transplants.  Thursday is support group day which is always nice but we had two more events in this day as well.

So this morning I head off to support group at 11am.  We had a giant crowd today.  I think there were almost 40 people.  Then after group about half of us went to lunch at the cafe in Mayo.  Next up at 1pm was the Celebration event and at 6pm was our potluck.  I ran home in between the celebration event and the potluck to make two meatloaves to take to the dinner.

The Jacksonville, FL Mayo Clinic recently celebrated their 2000th liver transplant.  The liver transplant program began at the Jacksonville location in 1998 and has become one of the leading transplant hospitals in the United States.   Mamma Mayo as so many of us call her, has performed over 3100 organ transplants that include heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas.  As you can see, the Jacksonville location has done a majority of liver transplants.

The 2000th liver transplant was an eagerly awaited number and the 2000th Celebration that we had today was truly heart warming.  The 2000th recipient was interviewed as well as several other transplant patients, doctors, nurses and staff and shown as a little 20 minute movie.  A few hundred people came for the celebration.  It is always so incredible to see so many lives changed for the better.  It was also amazing to me how many of those people I have met over the years.  It gets to me.  Makes tears well up in my eyes.  All of these people may not have been with us if it wasn't for Mamma Mayo.

sniff


Then this evening we had our usual second Thursday of the month potluck, but added into that we had a special little graduation with the Friends for Life organization.

Friends for Life is a volunteer organization in Northeast Florida that combines the mission of four organizations into one message, Donate Life. Our volunteers know first hand the importance of organ donation.  Many are organ recipients, their caregivers and family members, living donors or members of a donor's family.

Friends for Life supplies education, educational materials, resources and supplies to help get the word out about organ donation.   Tonight was the graduation ceremony for those people who went through one or more of the classes from last year.  So our pot luck was not just liver transplant friends and family but heart, lung, liver, kidney and Friends for Life volunteers. 

Whew!

I got a certificate tonight, which was totally unexpected.  I had been unable to complete all of the classes, but that's right, I did attend one class early last year.  So I got to graduate.

I wish college was like that.  I'm 16 credits shy of a bachelors degree.  May I graduate anyway??

That's what I did today.

I chatted and talked and listened and clapped and took some pictures and ate great food and talked and chatted and laughed and cried a little. 

What a great day.

I cannot end a post on organ transplant without saying --- Please make sure that your family knows your organ donation wishes, as they are the ones to make that final decision. 

Have a fabulous day!
Kristin

POTD - Florida

Florida - by Kristin Corlett

Just something I see every day.  A sewer cover.  Do you see a Florida sewer cover every day?

Enjoy!
Kristin

It's a tank

It's a tank! 

Well, you see the weekly photo challenge topic for this week over at Shutterboo's place (Flickr Group here) is toilet.  Toilet.  Hmmm, what to do with that information.  I've seen some fantastic pictures of toilets, I really have!  My mother even has a photo of some toilets that is just fabulous. Well, I had a difficult time finding an interesting toilet situation.   So what I ended up with is a picture of my toilet tank.  Not pretty, but unusual.

The extra little round thing that is hanging from the back of the tank is from the Kaboom toilet bowl cleaner kit.  I don't use it anymore, but never took it out, until today.  After this photo I took it out.  

Go over to the the Flickr group and see what others did for this challenge.  I just love the creativity that comes out in people.  The Flickr group is for the entire year long photo challenge, so you will find some photos from previous weeks in between this weeks theme.

--by the way, I did end up cleaning the entire bathroom, even though none of it showed :)

Have a great day!
Kristin

Moose Fish Fry

Moose Fish Fry - by Kristin Corlett

I pass by this particular Moose Lodge at least twice a week.  Today when I saw the Fish Fry sign I made a point to stop and get a photo.   When I think of a fish fry, I think of the Wacousta Fish Fry in Michigan.  I think my family only went a handful of times, but I always thought it was a lot of fun.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Airstream Ranch

Oooh, the Airstream Ranch.  I can't begin to explain how excited I was when I saw it on our way to Tampa.  In November I blogged about the ranch because I happened to see a picture of it somewhere and got all excited.  Then about 12 days ago as my husband and I are on our way to Tampa for the weekend, I see the Bates RV billboard and I swear I nearly lost my breath.  I had forgotten that the Airstream Ranch was there.  Goodness, I don't even read my own blog!

I was driving on the way to Tampa so I didn't get a photo, but on the way back to Jacksonville, Tom and I stopped at the Bates RV dealership and we went to the field to see these babies.

This photo is from the highway.

After touring the RV dealership we were given directions to the field where the Airstreams were planted.  This was the first stop.  We couldn't find the dirt path originally, so I was almost in tears when I thought that this was the closest I was going to get to the Airstreams.  I know, I was being dramatic.

Then we found the little dirt path and went through a muddy, watery mess (which I still haven't washed off of my car) and pulled up right next to the trailers.

I was giddy!

In honor of Airstream's 75th Anniversary the good folks at Bates RV planted seven and a half Airstreams in a field by their dealership.

This was the only bit of graffiti that I saw on the trailers.  It's truly amazing how shiny they look.  It's a real testament to Airstream.

I even liked the rusted parts.  If I could think of the name of the wheel, hub, axel, whatever it is. Someone help me out :) 

I think that "round part" would look great as a blown up photo.  I'll have to work on that.

Just another viw of the Airstreams.  I just find them fascinating!  I hope I haven't lost any of you. 

Blah blah blah - I'm scrolling to the end of this post!

I got back into the car and Tom asked if I had gotten a straight up shot of any of the RVs.  So I jumped back out and took another dozen or so photos.  Some of the windows in the Airstreams were taken out and then painted on.  I didn't realize that when we had just driven by on the expressway.

Tires off the ground.   Whoa!  Good thing bunny wasn't here, she might have been nervous.

I'm thinking this shot would make a good postcard :) 

I didn't realize that my trip to Tampa would be SO much fun.  Who knew!  IKEA, the ornament house,  the really big tree, the ocean, the bay, and of course, the Airstream Ranch!  You just never know what you'll find when you take a weekend and explore a city.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Reflection

Reflection - by Kristin Corlett

A reflection in the shell mirror of a black lampshade on a coral base.  Taken at the model home we toured in Tampa, FL.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Trio of fountains

There is this round-about on the road between my condo community and the grocery store across the pond from me. The circular area in the middle is divided into fourths and each one has a trio of fountains. 

This is a pretty fountain and I'm really glad that it works well.  The fountain we have in our condo community is terminally broken.  It's been so cold here lately that I've been a little afraid that the fountains all over town are going to freeze.  My friend Keetha has a frozen fountain in her town.  She's blogged about it HERE. 

The news reports have been talking about the infestation of rats into peoples homes - it's just so cold that they are seeking warmth. 

Fortunately we haven't found any rats in our building, but my husband went to check on our little ghetto house to make sure that the pipes hadn't frozen and a rat greeted him in the house.

In
The
House!

Ugh!

I had to show some pretty pictures in order to retell that story.

ewwwww, it makes my skin crawl.

At least no one is living there - but if someone was living there the rats may not have moved in.

ugh
Kristin

POTD - Vintage Beach Chairs

Vintage Beach Chairs - by Kristin Corlett

I took this photo at Madeira Beach on our trip to Tampa.  In Photobucket there is this effect button called "vintage photo' and that's what I used to vintage it up.   I love it!  Not to mention the number 22 is prominently displayed and that is just about my favorite number ever.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Trapped in a blue box

Help!  I'm trapped in a blue box, my eye is dangling and I have an overbite!

Help!  I can't smell anything!  My nose is painted on??!!  and I'm still trapped in this blue box.

Help!  I only have three fingers that if they could close, wouldn't even touch each other!  My other hand seems to be welded to a white thing.  Why is there a green egg on my belly?

Oh it gets worse!  I'm in a cage!  Thanks for letting me out of the blue box, but what in the world is this cage?  and why do I have a walking stick?  Do I have a broken leg?

Oh no!  I'm a tourist attraction!

That would explain the orange color of my skin.

and the bone that I'm holding in my non claw hand.

Orange is not my color.


Have a great week!
Kristin

POTD - Emu

Emu - by Kristin Corlett

I'm thinking this is an Emu, but I'm not real sure.  I found it at my local Anthropology store...one of my favorite photo shops :)  I talked with one of the sales girls and she said that they had a photography class come in one afternoon to photograph all of the cool vignettes and displays.  When she told me that, I stopped that little nagging worry in the back of my head that I was going to get into trouble.

I called this an Emu because there seemed to be more fluff on the top of the emu's head than the ostrich, but I have no idea really.  It's a cool looking bird no matter what it's supposed to be.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Saturday musings

I was cruising through my photos looking for something wonderful to talk about and I found a few things, so this is going to be a Saturday Fragment it looks like.

I quickly tossed the two blankets that were on the couch, onto the back so I could take the cushions off and clean underneath them.  I swear it was only a matter of seconds before Mocha made herself right at home.  She looks like she has been there all day.  She really is a constant source of amusement.

When I was in Michigan in October I saw this sweatshirt.  Well, I'm not a fan of hooded swweatshirts because they make my neck hurt. Between my long hair and the hood it's just hard on my body - but still - I was drawn the warm coziness of it.  I knew that I wouldn't use this much if at all in Florida so I talked myself out of getting it.

Two weeks of freezing temps has made me regret that willpower.  Thankfully I did get some other new warm clothes when I was in Michigan and I've been wearing them.  Our high today didn't get over 32º today.  There was sleet in Daytona Beach and a few places in Florida saw their first snow in nearly forever.

Did you know that Jacksonville was named after Andrew Jackson?  This is the statue that informed me of that fact.  I assumed that Jacksonville was named after someone, but it didn't occur to me that it was the President Jackson that inspired the name.  I wonder if all of the Jacksonvilles in the United States are named after him as well.  Is your town named after someone? 

I know I've shown this photo before, but it makes me laugh every. single. time.  ha!  I have spent my whole life being dorky :)  This is proof!


One of my favorite snacks is a scoop of cottage cheese with chives.  I prefer fresh chives, but dried will do...just barely.

I've also found out that rice cakes are really quite tasty when they are freshly purchased and used!  Goodness.  I tossed out the last bag because they were like eating a sponge.   I bought a new package, vowing that I was going to eat them all in the next two weeks.  Wow.  My first bite was delicious!  I had that rubbery batch for so long I had forgotten that they were any good.  (If you don't like rice cakes no matter how fresh they are, that's OK!  I won't debate you on the subject.)

My weekly photo challenge theme this week is toilet.  Hmmmm   I was with my mom when we saw a great photo of a line of toilets and she purchased the print.  It's been in her bathroom ever since.  I have been looking for a good toilet to photograph, but have come up short.  Wish me luck in finding a good toilet!

I hope you've had a great weekend so far.
Kristin